Lynch Picks the Best of Monterey

At the risk of having my mailbox overflow with hate mail from Bugatti fans, the pinnacle of prewar sports cars is the Alfa 8C2900B. Luigi Chinetti, who owned one, said they were much more delicate mechanically than the 8C 2300s which he considered bullet proof, but that can be forgiven when you consider how they look. This is Bob Lee’s example in the Designs by Carrozzeria Touring Class. When new, the metal filets and straked spats were not on this car, but were used on some 8Cs. The top spears and running board trim are as original.

This Bugatti T57 was ordered by Sir Malcolm Campbell who held both the Land Speed Record, and the Water Speed record. He had it bodied by British coachbuilder Corsica. It was part of an impressive display of new and old Bugattis at The Quail.

Mouse Motors’ lovely Alfa Romeo Stradale won Best of Show at The Quail. Based on their Tipo 33 race car of the late 1960s, only 18 of these were built in two versions. This is the later version. Earlier cars had four headlights and did not have the front fender side vent. Power was a 2-liter V-8 like the racing cars. Alfa 33s did win the World Sports Car Championship in 1975 and 1977, but used a 3-liter flat 12 in 1975 and a 2100cc twin turbo 12 in 1977 to do it.

Along with the 166 Spyder Corsa, my favorite Ferrari race cars are the later P cars. This is a great one, Jim Glickenhaus’s 412 P was originally raced by Maranello Concessionaires, the British Ferrari distributor, and carries their distinctive livery. These were cars built for private teams. They were the same as the factory P3s, except they had carburetors, rather than the factory cars’ fuel injection. This is one of the most original P cars extant.

The Keller Collection’s Alfa 6C 1750 GS Flying Star was awarded the Elegance in Motion Trophy, as well as second in the in the Designs by Carrozzeria Touring Class. This is just a cut above the other 6C 1750s.

The Delahaye 145 Franay Cabriolet of Sam and Emily Mann has led quite a life. Before World War II it was a 12-cylinder Grand Prix race car, but was rebodied after the war as you see here. Later, the body was removed and put on a new chassis, while the original was fitted with a racing sports car body. In the late 1990s, Mann found both cars, bought them and reunited the cabriolet body with its original chassis. It won the European Classic Late Class and was a nominee for Best of Show, but did win the Most Elegant Convertible award.

I can’t tell you why, but I loved this one. It’s Corrado Lopresto’s 1935 Lancia Augusta. This was a special personal coupe made for an Italian princess by Stabilimenti Farina. Powered with a 1300cc V-4 it abounds with special features like suicide doors, a rear view mirror with integrated clock and a combination lock gas cap. Note the idiot stick turn signals in the sail panel. Way cool.

And now, for something completely different, we have a Joseph Figoni-bodied Rolls Royce Phantom II Continental Pillarless Berline. Depending on the source, Figoni did one or two Rolls. I will say one, because I think the confusion comes from the fact that this car had a previous Weymann body. The car was commissioned by the Prince of Nepal and one previous owner traded a Bugatti Royale for it. The sleek lines belie its massive size and Figoni signature styling cues include the side coachline in relief as well as relief on the fender skirt detail. Metal fileting throughout completes the concept. The French and British may never agree on food, but this is a wonderful collaboration. The car won the Most Elegant Closed Car Award.

This is the last Ferrari made with Touring’s Barchetta body. It was a gift from Ferrari to Henry Ford. Thought to originally been a 212, it was fitted with a later 225 engine and left hand drive for the Deuce. It is said to have influenced the Ford Thunderbird styling, especially the exhaust through the bumper feature on the T-Bird. However, as you can see from the link below, when the Ferrari was new, the exhaust ran under the car, unlike the way it is routed today. Aside from that, it is incredibly original, right down to the 60 year old tires, although I’m not sure how fast I’d like to go on those. The car is one of the treasures at the Petersen Museum which will reopen on December 15 after an incredible remodel. You will spend as much time looking at the exterior as at the cars. The exterior metalwork is by the A. Zahner Company of Kansas City.
http://blog.thehenryford.org/2015/08/barchetta/

The barn find craze reached new heights in Paris in January, when this Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder sold at auction for well north of 18 million US$. When found, the car was covered with string-bound bales of magazines. They were obviously heavy enough to collapse the boot lid. Contributing to the price was the fact that the car was once owned by French actor Alain Delon.

This Fiat Stanguellini Bertone Spyder drew a lot of well-deserved attention. It was designed by Franco Scaglioni during his time at Bertone and the rear treatment is more interesting as the front. The design is spirited enough that I could get past the latter, redolent of a 1957 Corvette because of the coves and wrap-around windshield. An interesting detail is the use of a Fiat badge on the nose and a Stanguellini one on the rear deck. Bertone is identified on the flanks.

David Smith’s understated Alfa 6C 2500 captured first in the Design by Carrozzeria Touring Class, as well as winning the Mille Miglia Prewar Trophy. The dreaded white chains force a less than advantageous image.

Now we have a piece of coachwork fantasy that may have been over reach, even by French 1930s standards. This Bugatti 57C by Vanvooren of Paris was originally built as a gift from the French Government to Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who would later become the Shah of Iran. That was prompted by the marriage of Pahlavi to Princess Fawzia in 1939. Up close, the details are overwhelming – the metal filets run the length of the car while the usual side spears now include air intakes. The round headlights are accented by ovoid waterfall wire covers. The top is stowed beneath a metal cover. However, from a distance the design appears much more integrated. This is another Petersen Museum artifact which is often shared with the public outside the museum. It won the French Cup and was second in the European Classic Late Class.